Development of a Control Theory experimental set...how??

[Elits]

hi all,
i get project from my teacher to make "Development of a Control Theory experimental set". Truelly what is this? is there anyone could give me reference about it? please
thanks

regards,

 

[VVV]

I am assuming you should have a few building blocks that can simulate a plant, a regulator, and a referencce. Everything should be adjustable, including the regulator. If you use large enought time constants, it will be easy for the audience to see how the output of the plant follows (how slowly, or with what overshoot, ringing, even oscillation) the reference.

Basically, I would have a voltage reference, that can be easily measured (with say an analog voltmeter) and the output should follow it (measure it with another analog meter). The regulator should be an adjustable PID type.

You can then change the reference (a step change, more or less) and look at the output and see how it approaches the reference. By adjusting the PID regulator you can make the output follow faster, slower, with more overshoot, etc.
You should be able to bring the system to oscillation to exemplify how a poorly designed compensator affects the system.
You should also be able to adjust the PID compensator afterwards (based on the oscillation frequency) to get an optimum response.
Finally, you can attach a load at the output to create a disturbance and show how the system adjusts its output back to the initial value, equal to the reference.

A mechanical system is of course more spectacular to watch, but I think it would be harder to implement. One possible solution: use an old harddrive of the voicecoil type. Your output can be the angular position of the heads. The reference can be just a potentiometer, with its scale marked in degrees. You turn the pot and watch the heads change position (the transient response and overshoot will be evident). Then to disturb the system, simply move the heads with your finger and watch the system bring them back to the set position (again with some sort of transient response).
Of course, the timing has to be such that people get a chance to see the movement and the transient response, or the oscillation, so everything is supposed to be relatively slow.